Ray Donovan Canceled After 7 Seasons at Showtime, No Season 8 Is Coming

We've seen the last of Ray Donovan, as Showtime has canceled the series after seven seasons on the network. No eighth season will be produced, meaning the season 7 finale, which aired on Jan. 19, now serves as the series finale of the show. No specific reason was given as to why the show has officially come to an end, but news of Ray Donovan's cancelation was confirmed in a statement provided by Showtime.

"After seven incredible seasons, Ray Donovan has concluded its run on Showtime," the statement reads. "We are proud that the series ended amid such strong viewership and on such a powerful note. Our deepest thanks go to Liev Schreiber, Jon Voight, showrunner David Hollander and the entire cast and crew, past and present, for their dedicated work."

News of Ray Donovan getting the axe isn't terribly surprising, given recent statements by Showtime Co-President of Entertainment Gary Levine. Speaking about the series at the Television Critics Association, Levine admitted that the show was "nearing the end of its run," though an eighth season on the network was still possible. "We always talked about seven or eight seasons. Nothing has been decided yet but it's fair to say it is nearing the end," Levine said at the time. Now, it appears that the network's decision has apparently been made.

Created for Showtime by Ann Biderman, Ray Donovan first began airing on the network in 2013. At the time, the pilot broke viewership records to become Showtime's most-watched premiere in the network's history. Initially set in Los Angeles (and later New York), the series follows Liev Schreiber as the titular "crime cleaner" employed by a powerful law firm. Ray Donovan also follows the lead character's home life, with Paula Malcomson playing his wife Abby and Eddie Marsan, Dash Mihok, and Pooch Hall as his brothers. Jon Voight also stars as Ray's criminal father who is unexpectedly released from prison.

Because the series didn't exactly have a proper conclusion, some loose ends will be left unresolved for fans of the show to forever wonder about. Still, in many ways, the season 7 finale does feel like a series ender by putting a bow on some of its other storylines. The episode notably explored Ray finally learning his late sister Bridget had been raped and was pregnant when she was killed. After getting his revenge on the man responsible, Ray is visited by Bridget's ghost in the closing moments of the episode, and looking back, it feels like an appropriate way to end Ray's story.

Seven seasons is still nothing to balk at, and reaching this point on Showtime can be seen as a big success for Ray Donovan. It's always unfortunate for fans of any series when the show comes to an end, but sometimes it's better to call it quits before it wears out its welcome like other popular series certainly have. It's been a fun run, and it will be interesting to see what comes next for Schreiber and the cast and crew of Ray Donovan. This news comes to us from Deadline.